Posts tagged with "LEED v4":

The Gensler-designed Capitol Tower, a 34-story speculative office building developed by Skanska USA on the site of the former Houston Club in downtown Houston, Texas, has been awarded Platinum Pre-Certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED v4 ranking system. According to a press release put out by Skanska, the project is one of only a handful of in-the-works buildings to earn the distinction under the fourth generation of the LEED system. The company also stated that it wished Capitol Tower to be the greenest building in Houston. The design includes a high-performance facade system, daylight harvesting technology to reduce energy use, 90 percent access to daylight and views for tenants, a garage with daylight occupancy sensors and a green roof, alternative vehicle charging stations, a rainwater collection system, and bicycle amenities to encourage cycle commuting, among other sustainable features.
“Skanska made it clear from the beginning of the design process that they wanted this to be the most sustainable building in Houston,” Gensler principal Kristopher Stuart said in a statement. “We really pushed our team to move beyond anything we have done before to create a building that offers an exceptional work environment in a high-performance envelope that will dramatically reduce operating costs. The design also places an extraordinary emphasis on public spaces and pedestrian experiences which we believe will greatly enhance and enrich Houston’s urban fabric."
Under the LEED system, pre-certification allows owners to begin to market the proposed green features of a project to prospective tenants who wish to occupy a LEED certified space. Earning a pre-certification is not a guarantee of actual LEED certification. While the pre-certification review is conducted in the same manner as a combined design and construction review, no credits or pre-requisites can be awarded. They are instead marked as "anticipated." In addition, only projects registered under the LEED for Core & Shell rating system can apply for pre-certification.

In the midst of Greenbuild's International Conference & Expo, held from November 18–22 in Philadelphia, AN sought out the newest and most innovative sustainable building products. We found attractive new finishes and furnishings, including a new chair derived from carbon polymers, and a plethora of building components that aim to harness the Earth's energy for optimal building performance.
Green Roofing Xero Flor America
This vegetated green roofing solution (above) rolls out in a mat system for easy application, as well as rapid access for repairs. Each 40-inch wide panel is comprised of a root barrier, drain mat, water retention fleece, growing medium, and pre-vegetated layer of sedum. Also known as stonecrop, each order is grown in one of Xero Flor's six regional fields, so living roofs are acclimated to the installation environment and contribute to local LEED credits.
Ecoflex Mortise Lock Assa Abloy
The Ecoflex Mortise Lock runs on only 10 Watts of energy, whereas standard electrified locks draw nearly twice the wattage. Used as a stand-alone electronic access control or in conjunction with a wall reader, the reduced power draw cuts operating costs and its actuator reduces the risk of failure from voltage drops.
BasotectBASF
Basotect is made from an open-cell melamine resin foam, a thermoset polymer that does not contain mineral fibers. It is comprised of 99 percent air for maximum sound absorbancy and low density (read: lightweight) in corporate, education, civic, and institutional applications.
Smog-Eating TileBoral
Suitable for both commercial and residential applications, concrete roofing tiles feature an embedded finish that converts nitrogen oxide from the air into inert compounds. For a recommended 3-inch headlap, approximately 89 tiles will cover 100 square feet. Six colorways are available in three profiles.
Fleece-BACK PVC Membrane Carlisle SynTec Systems
To bolster durability and the PVC membrane's puncture resistance, a layer of fleece backing adds thickness up to 135 mils and improves wind-uplift performance when bonded to an adhesive. Specified as part of a comprehensive roofing system, the membrane can help contribute to LEED points, as it did on the South Terrace of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
AirRenew CertainTeed
CertainTeed's new gypsum board features embedded air purifying technology that captures formaldehyde and other aldehydes, converts them into inert compounds, and stores the particulates within the board for 75 years. Water-based acrylic and epoxy paints or breathable wallpaper will not affect efficacy, and AirRenew can be recycled at the end of its useful life.
Enverge Cavity WallFirestone Building ProductsFirestone adapted its polyisocyanite roofing technology and its insular properties for the vertical surfaces of a building with the Enverge Cavity Wall system. When combined, a suite of products—including a continuous insulation exterior wall insulation, air and vapor barrier, and thru-wall flashing—stops thermal bridging and optimizes building envelope performance according to ASHRAE standards.
Reveal GlassGuardian Industries
Guardian Industries' switchable glass features an interlayer of liquid crystals laminated between two sheets of glass that, when exposed to an electrical current, reconfigures floating molecules into a transparent grid pattern that appears clear to the naked eye. When the system is off, the molecules rest in a disorganized, natural state that lends opacity to the glass. The line is available in any of Guardian's color offerings, standard textures, and Berman Glass editions.
1630 SS ISOKawneer
Kawneer addresses the growing frequency of high-impact weather systems with a curtain wall designed to withstand hurricane and tornado conditions. The system has withstood blast mitigation testing, ASTM testing, and met building code standards for Florida's hurricane-prone Miami-Dade County, all with a reduced U-factor to meet current energy code demands.
Grazie with AirCarbonKI
KI's Grazie stacking chair was reimagined in a bio-based polymer(above)—AirCarbon—from California-based Newlight Technologies. A patented production method isolates carbon molecules from naturally occurring chemical compounds, converts them to a liquid state, and bonds them with polymers for a carbon-negative thermoplastic that can be substituted for oil-based plastics.
BenchmarkKingspan
Panels finished in ACM, MCM, ceramic, brick, and more feature polyisocyanates to eliminate thermal bridging, and a built-in vapor barrier for an air-tight building skin. Kingspan has developed EPDs for all Benchmark panels, which are also UL listed.
MagnaShadeMechoSystems
Mechosystem's interior daylight management—in both manual and automated systems—is available in lengths as long as 40 feet for uninterrupted glare and heat gain mitigation, and the elimination of light gaps. A slim profile on the 6 1/2-inch housing cassette can be installed flush within a ceiling or soffit, or wall mounted.
PermaLED Area LightOsram Sylvania
Operating at 90, 140, or 200 Watts of power, the PermaLED luminaire for outdoor use generates a 57 percent energy savings when compared to HID lamps. Available with a standard photosensor or a dual-technology motion and photocontrol sensor, the latter provides up to 10kV surge protection.
SPEEDHIDE zeroPPG
This topcoat paint contains no VOCs, formaldehyde, crystalline silica or ethylene glycol. Anti-microbial properties also help inhibit growth of mold and mildew on paint film. SPEEDHIDE zero is GreenGuard Gold certified and meets standards for California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).
Harmony Sherwin-Williams
Once this interior acrylic latex paint dries, a propriety chemical compound neutralizes aldehydes in the surrounding environment without the presence of a catalyst. Harmony, and 50 percent of Sherwin-Williams' paint offerings, have been certified GreenGuard Gold and contribute to LEED points under Version 4 revisions.
ThermaCork Eco Supply
Made from the bark of the quercus suber tree, ThermaCork features the inherent dimensional stability, water resistance, fire retardant properties, and acoustical isolation of cork, without additives. To form panels, the sap of the cork bark, or suberin, is heated to a liquid state and, once cooled, binds particles in place. The panels can also be applied as insulation.